ALIEN GEAR CLOAK TUCK IWB HOLSTER (INSIDE THE WAISTBAND) FOR GLOCK G48

Having purchased an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck 3.5 IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster for my Glock G34/41 and Springfield Armory XDM 5.25, I decided on another Alien Gear product, the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) for the Glock G48.

Although this review is for the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) for the Glock G48, the traits of the holster applies to any Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster, regardless of what pistol the holster is for.

 The G48 is, for all intents and purposes, a G19S (for Slim). Before this all happened, the Glock G45, a result of leaving a G19 overnight and unsupervised with a G17, was introduced. The G45 is one of my more favorite Glock pistols. Perhaps, the G48 is supposed to be a G45S? Regardless, the G48 is the anemic version, being that it is a single-stack firearm. As such, it will not fit in holsters intended for the G19 (too slim), or the G43/G43X (too long) unless it is an open-bottom holster, for that matter.  It needs its own holster and Alien Gear has stepped up to the plate with its Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster that is intended strictly for the Glock G48 (but I am sure that the G43X would fit just fine as would the G43; albeit, there would be more space at the bottom of the holster shell.

The Glock G48 is a slender piece of work and as such is an ideal firearm to conceal. It is not diminutive enough to slide into a pocket holster and then into a pocket (unless you have some pretty large pockets). But it is an ideal 10-shot semi-automatic pistol that could be carried on the hip or in a tuxedo shoulder holster system. Single stack pistols do have their advantages over double-stack pistols.

The Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster shell is form- fitted to the G48. When I ordered the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster, the correct backing size was automatically determined so that I would receive the correct backing for the pistol.

The Kydex, form-fitted holster is mounted in four places and allows full retention adjustment via a complete set of hardware and an Allen wrench.

This holster comes equipped either with standard nylon clips, designed for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch belts, or steel clips that fit belts up to 1 3/4 inches. For enhanced conceal-ability nylon “C” clips and “J” clips are also available as add-on items. Included with the holster is a Parts Pack that consist of 2 – 1/2″ screws, 4 – 3/8″ screws, 4 – 5/8″ screws, 2 – 1/2″ rubber spacers, 4 – 3/8″ rubber spacers, 4 – 5/8″ rubber spacers, 1 – T Nut, 1 – Finish Washer, 1 – 3/32 Hex Key.

The backing piece is leather and dyed to a color of your preference, as long as your preference is black, brown, or tan. The leather backer has a thickness of approximately 5/32-inches, which means that it is approximately 10-ounce leather by leather thickness. Except for black, the Kydex shell is not offered in colors or patterns.

Three mounting points on each side of the holster shell provides a means to adjust holster height and cant according to your preference. I prefer that an IWB holster is low inside the trousers and with a bit more cant than the standard 15-degree F.B. I. cant. Polymer or metal mounting clips are options. The polymer clips are quite substantial and from all indications you can expect them to prevent the holster from coming out with the pistol for a very long time.

To adjust the holster, the manufacturer provides an Allen wrench that is used to remove the mounting clip and spacer. The spacer contributes to the holster being ‘tuckable’ and you can decide if the tuckable feature is one that you want. I decided to leave the spacers in place, even though I don’t take advantage of the tuckable feature.

A sweat shield is present with no way of opting out of having one. I prefer not having a sweat shield, but this one seems unobtrusive, so I deemed it unnecessary to surgically remove it from the holster.

For the Glock G48 pistol, the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster is a minimalist’s holster that takes up very little real-estate.

The mount spacing is 7.75 inches, which is wide enough to fully support the holster/firearm while allowing the backing to flex as it shapes to the body.

The mounting clips are polymer, although metal is offered as an option along with other styles of clips. The polymer clips are substantial and require some effort to attach and detach from the belt, which is a good thing. It is a sad thing to watch a holster come with the firearm during the draw stroke; however, if done correctly (an underhand holster toss to the bad guy works best) and with some modicum of class, you can confuse your enemy before you have to shoot them.

One of my concerns with these types of holsters is the sweat guard. With normal wear, the sweat guard will be forced outward against the firearm. Drawing the firearm normally is not a problem; holstering the firearm that has a sweat guard sometimes can be, if the sweat guard tends to bend to far outward. The sweat guard of the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) is minimally invasive. I have decided not to surgically remove it unless it needs to be surgically removed.

Twisted Logic!

When the firearm is in the holster, and the holster is in the pants, there is quite a bit of tension on the trigger guard area. To retrieve the firearm from the holster, this tension must be broken. They say that humor loosens most tension, but in this case it won’t work. What will work is when you grab the butt of the pistol when it is in the holster, simply rotate the button inward toward the body just a bit. Just a slight twist in this manner reduces the tension between the holster and the firearm’s trigger guard, and the pistol may then be removed easier than if you do not perform the “Grip Twist.”

With the above said, there is very little resistance of the pistol when it is holstered, due to the size of the pistols. The above would apply more so to larger semi-automatics with a healthy width to them, especially with full-size service pistols.

Summary

The Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) is, obviously, a drop in the bucket of the many holsters of this kind. So, what is needed of a “Kybrid” type holster to be an extremely effective device for transporting an extremely effective device for personal self-protection? I believe it to be that the holster has the minimal material that provides maximum protection, is easily adjustable for holster depth, cant, and retention, and allows maximum accessibility to the firearm by the user yet minimizes detection by others.

If I go by this definition; then, it seems that the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) holster is an excellent holster. And it is. A question that I often ask myself, when regarding holsters and firearms, is ”Would I purchase this again?” In the case of Alien Gear holsters, the answer is yes – and I have.

I would recommend Alien Gear holster products and would add them to an extensive list of holster providers in my search for IWB holsters.

Glock G48 and the Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband) Holster (Note mounting adjustment position for my desired cant.

Resources

Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB Holster (Inside the Waistband): https://aliengearholsters.com/alien-gear-cloak-tuck-iwb-holster-inside-the-waistband.html

Alien Gear Holsters Original Cloak Tuck Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAKhUNpbPI4

Alien Gear Holsters : Hype or Quality?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCrFliHvwRE

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About Taurian

Taurian is a U.S. Army veteran and former LEO and Defensive Tactics Instructor. Taurian also has over fifty years of experience as a Technical Writer and Training Program Developer. After leaving home at the age of ten without any shoes, Taurian continues on with many years devoted to the keeping and bearing of arms.

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